Today is your day Boomer! I thought those days were over....as a history teacher for thirty years, I taught the horrors of the Holocaust, the rise of Hitler, and the extreme nationalism in Germany. Well, it's back. Sigh....in fact, if Germany held an election today, the relatively-new Alternative for Germany(AfG) Party would take 2nd place! One anti-AFG demonstrator echoes my thoughts: "I never thought such inhuman ideas would be gaining popularity in Germany again. I thought we had learned the lessons from our past." Apparently it is mostly young men that are latching onto this party, many from the old eastern part of Germany. And according to CTV News, "voters in Germany and across Europe are increasingly empowering far-right nationalist parties who promise to restrict immigration and, in some cases, constrain democratic freedoms of religion, of expression, of the right to protest." Syria, Turkey, and Afghanistan immigrants are trying to get into Germany by the hundreds of thousands every year. But in all of this...it is also the "other" people who are taking a stand this time. Over 3.5 million anti-AfG have participated in very-public demonstrations....something that never could have happened in the 1930s-40s in Germany. And I applaud them. Far-right Conservatism is taking a step forward in many nations, including the U.S.(Trump, again) and Canada....and they need to lose democratic elections. That means the "anti" protest is up to all of us....including Boomers and Seniors who vote in large numbers.
Today is your day Boomer! And today is another day for wining......and I don't mean complaining. I mean drinking some pressed grapes and enjoying the health benefits. That's right, drinking alcohol is good for you. First, let's state the obvious....only in moderate amounts: two glasses per day for men and one for women. Research shows the following positive health effects: (1) reduces risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease (2) is an anti-flammatory(white wine is better for this) (3) decreases risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol(red wine is a better choice) (4) good for mental health, may increase age longevity, may promote healthy gut bacteria. All of this sounds good and much of it boils down to the antioxidants which are higher in red wine. It seems reds--like Merlot, Cab Sav, and Shiraz--have been studied more.....which means more research is needed on whites. Boomers, maybe we could volunteer for a new study! Cheers!

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